Rainbow Pipeline Leak — Three Months Later…

Posted on: Friday, July 29, 2011
Posted at: 12:00 PM

It has been 3 months since Plains Midstream Canada reported that there had been a Rainbow Pipeline leak, 100 km NE of Peace River, Alberta.

Initially, the Alberta media were told by Plains Midstream Canada that only a few hundred barrels of oil had leaked from the Rainbow Pipeline…

There was no national media coverage of the Rainbow Pipeline leak until after the 2011 Canadian federal election which was held on Monday, May 2.

On Tuesday, May 3, the rest of Canada learned that 28,000 barrels (4.5 million litres) of crude oil has spilled — making it the largest Alberta pipeline discharge in 36 years.
 
 
 
1 month later, Plains Midstream Canada said 42% of oil recovered from the Rainbow Pipeline leak.

2 months later, Plains Midstream Canada said 49% of oil recovered from the Rainbow Pipeline leak.

3 months after the Rainbow Pipeline leaked 4.5 million litres of oil into the northern Alberta wilderness…

• Plains Midstream Canada acknowledges the anniversary of the Rainbow Pipeline leak.
• Plains Midstream Canada has recovered 49% of the 4.5 million litres of oil from the Rainbow Pipeline leak.
• Plains Midstream Canada says the problem is fixed and has applied to reopen the Rainbow Pipeline.
• On or about July 29, 2011, the Energy Resources Conservation Board says it received a formal request from Plains Midstream Canada to restart Rainbow Pipeline operations. [ Article ]
• As of August 3, 2011, Plains Midstream Canada is no longer providing the % of the 4.5 million litres of oil recovered from the Rainbow Pipeline leak. [ Web Updates ]
• As of August 16, 2011, the Energy Resources Conservation Board has given Plains Midstream Canada conditional approval to re-open the Rainbow Pipeline. [ Article ]

 
 
 
View the Rainbow Pipeline Leak — A Timeline

View the Rainbow Pipeline Leak — A Timeline (Continued)
 
 
 
          NOTICE:
 
 

          THERE WAS NO
 
          NATIONAL COVERAGE
 
          OF THE 3 MONTH ANNIVERSARY  
 
          OF THE RAINBOW PIPELINE LEAK.
 
 
          I wonder why…

 
 
 
FYI:

• The Rainbow Pipeline was built in 1965 and runs from Zama, Alberta to Edmonton, Alberta.
• In 2006, 7,500 barrels leaked from the Rainbow Pipeline; an investigation determined the causes were related to its age.
• Plains Midstream Canada purchased the Rainbow Pipeline from Imperial Oil in 2008.
• Plains Midstream Canada is a subsidiary of Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline, with pipelines and crude oil storage facilities throughout the Province of Alberta.
• Plains Midstream Canada says crack detection test conducted in January and April of 2011.

2011-07-29  »  somecanuckchick